1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving method of a plasma display panel (PDP).
2. Description of the Related Art
A PDP is a display panel that uses plasma generated by gas discharge to display characters or images. It includes, depending on its size, more than several scores to millions of pixels arranged in a matrix pattern. Such a PDP is classified as a direct current (DC) type or an alternating current (AC) type according to its discharge cell structure and the waveform of the driving voltage applied thereto.
The DC PDP has electrodes exposed to a discharge space, and accordingly, it allows DC to flow through the discharge space while a voltage is applied. Therefore, such a DC PDP problematically requires a resistor for limiting the current. On the other hand, the AC PDP has electrodes covered with a dielectric layer that forms a capacitor to limit the current and protects the electrodes from the impact of ions during discharge. Accordingly, the AC PDP has a longer lifetime than the DC PDP.
In general, one frame of an AC PDP is divided into a plurality of subfields, and each subfield includes a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period.
The reset period is for initializing a condition of each cell so as to facilitate an addressing operation on the cell, The address period is for selecting turn-on/turn-off cells (i.e., cells to be turned on or off) and accumulating wall charges to the turn-on cells (i.e., addressed cells). The sustain period is for causing a discharge for displaying an image on the addressed cells.
In order to perform the above-described operation, sustain discharge pulses are alternatively applied to scan electrodes and sustain electrodes during the sustain period, and reset waveforms and scan waveforms are applied to the scan electrodes during the reset period and the address period. Therefore, a scan driving board for driving the scan electrodes and a sustain driving board for driving the sustain electrodes are separately needed. In this instance, a problem of mounting the driving boards on a chassis base may be generated, and the cost increases because of the separate driving boards.
When a driving circuit formed in a sustain driving board is coupled to a scan driving board to reduce the cost of the driving boards, the length of a wire (or a conductive pattern) connected between the scan driving board and the sustain electrode is extended. Therefore, an impedance component formed at the extended sustain electrode is increased.